7teen: How to Be a Heartbreaker
by Jupiter Queen
Summary: Ep. 9: Sydni helps Jonesy with the dating guide he never finished writing, forcing her to think about her love life in the process. Meanwhile, Nikki's trying to find the right way to come out to Jonesy.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning**_ _: Profanity, drug references, and sexual references._

 _ **Note**_ _: The title comes from the ever-iconic Marina and the Diamonds song "How to Be a Heartbreaker."_

 _ **A/N**_ _: Bitch, I'm back and_ _poppin_ _._

 _Just kidding, but I'm here to say 7teen isn't dead… or, at least, it's not on hiatus anymore. I'm pretty sure nobody reads my fics these days, especially since I've been taking time away for school—which is still my priority, so expect irregular updates—but I want to continue on with this. It allows me to practice with my writing, experiment with story themes, and exercise my creativity in ways that academics tend to limit me._

 _Also, this is my 100th story on this site, wow. Hope you enjoy "How to Be a Heartbreaker."_

* * *

Chapter 1: Dating for Dummies

"...Wow, that sounded like a lot of fun," Sydni said, listening to Caitlin talk about her most recent date with Benj.

"It was _amazing_. I still can't believe he took me to see Carly Rae Jepsen!" Caitlin squealed in joy. "Benji is just my dream boyfriend."

Even though Nikki wanted to make a sarcastic remark about _who_ she went to see in concert, she didn't want to put a damper on her friend's happiness. It was obvious to friends and strangers alike that he swept Caitlin off her feet. "It sounds like you really found 'the one' this time, blondie."

Caitlin sent her a warm smile. "I think so, too. Benj is just… everything I've wanted in a guy. Compassionate, sweet, funny, honest,"—she giggled—"and an _amazing_ kisser."

While Sydni chuckled at that last part, it was sweet to see Caitlin be so infatuated. "I'm glad you've got someone who's right for you. You deserve someone just as good as you, anyways."

"Thanks, Sydni. I think you do, too," she replied, before her checking her vibrating phone. It was a message from Jonesy in the gang's group chat:

 _Yo, where u guys at?_

Jen replied, _At work_ , while Wyatt said, _Omw to the mall_.

Caitlin said, _Me, Nikki and Sydni are by the fountain._ In her peripheral vision, she saw Jude skateboarding around the vicinity. _Jude's around here too._

Jonesy replied, _K, I'll be there in five._

Minutes later, he arrived with some news. "Bruh, you'll never guess what I saw on Twitter!"

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"Remember Brandon?"

"Which one?" Nikki asked. "The one that got arrested for selling weed or the one who ran the school's blog?"

Knowing Jonesy, she assumed he'd talk about the one who sold marijuana.

"The one with the blog," Jonesy said. "Dude got a whole _book_ published."

She raised her eyebrows. _That_ was a surprise.

"Wow," Caitlin said, "that's wonderful!"

"Obviously I don't know this guy, but I'm assuming he's, like, our age?" Sydni asked.

"Basically. He graduated last year," Nikki replied.

"Oh, wow." It sounded like he was living one of her dreams: being published before the age of twenty-five.

"So, what's your angle in telling us this?" Nikki asked her boyfriend, knowing that he wouldn't mention a random person's success without strings attached.

His lips turned smug. "Well, I've been thinking—"

"Oh, no, he's been _thinking_."

He scowled at her. "Anyways, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was thinking of working on that dating book I never finished."

"What dating book?" Sydni asked. She could only imagine it being a disaster.

Nikki sighed. "Jonesy wanted to write a _Dating for Dummies_ guide last year after working at a bookstore for two whole days."

"Hey, I learned a _lot_ in those two days, babe."

"If you say so. Where do you even see this thing headed? Do you really think this dating guide of yours is going to be a _New York Times_ bestseller?" she asked, entertaining his idea.

"I didn't say all that, but it'd be a great idea to get my name out there and maybe even make some bank." He hoped it would help him contribute to the Jonesy-Garcia-really-needs-his-own-freaking-car-as-soon-as-possible fund.

A dry laugh escaped her lips. "Good luck with _that_."

"Don't be such a hater, babe. It's not a good look."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just going to kick back and see how this scheme of the week pans out."

"See how easy it is to be _supportive_?"

She replied by flipping him off.

"So, Sydni," he said, ignoring Nikki's gesture, "I was wondering if you could post the dating guide on your blog when I'm finished with it."

She furrowed her brow. "Can't you make your own blog and publish it _there_?"

"I mean, yeah, but you already have a blog with followers that'll actually read it."

She crossed her arms, displeased that Jonesy wanted to get her involved in his latest hustle.

"C'mon, Syd, help a friend out."

She remained silent, thinking it over, tempted to say no.

" _C'mon_."

She sighed.

" _C'moooon._ "

Ever since her party a couple weeks ago, whenever she was by herself and idle, her mind kept wandering to Alejandro. Whenever she wasn't reading or writing or working or hanging out with the gang, she thought of him. She wondered if she did the right thing by deciding she wouldn't pursue him for right now. No matter how attractive or charming he appeared to be, she had already placed her heart into a charming guy's hands in the fall; he ended up breaking it during winter break, not too long before her birthday. She desired a drama-free summer, not another boy on her mind for another season. Perhaps she could use the extra distraction to escape her nagging subconscious.

" _C'moooooooon."_

On the other hand, she would have to put up with Jonesy. That boy was juvenile as hell.

"Earth to Sydni, are you even here right now?"

"Jonesy, shut up," Nikki snapped, pulling Sydni out of her mind.

"I'll do it," she decided.

He flashed her a bright smile. "Sweet!"

"But I'm going to be the one writing it, because I don't want to publish your writing unedited on my blog. No offense."

"None taken. I'm glad you decided to get with the winning team."

"She probably did it to get you to stop begging like a child," Nikki said under her breath.

Nikki was partially right—Jonesy's whining wore her down—but this was also an opportunity to stop overthinking for a while.

Caitlin clapped her hands in excitement. "Oooh, I wanna be involved! I think I've got enough dating experience to be qualified." Between being an avid reader of magazines geared towards young women and having been on as many dates as Jonesy, she was credible enough.

"You're in, princess," Jonesy said.

"Yay!"

"Looks like we might have a bestseller on our hands after all," he said, stroking his chin.

Nikki snarked, " _Actual_ literary geniuses, watch out."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Something More

"Where the hell is my first chapter?" Jonesy asked, squinting at his laptop in confusion, hoping the file would magically appear in front of him.

"I bet you named it after random letters on the keyboard," Wyatt said before sipping his coffee.

"Yeah right." After three minutes of opening and closing random documents on his computer, he said, "Shit, I named it _bfhjqwerty_."

Wyatt glanced at him before taking another sip. "Told you."

"Shut up." He promptly renamed the file so it'd be easier to find. His eyes scanned the words he'd written last year in hopes of being the next best dating author.

He'd written about making the first move by being confident. If the reader knew their love interest already, he suggested playing up the aspects of their personality they knew their crush liked already.

And that was it. There was literally nothing other than that.

"Huh," he uttered in disappointment before falling silent.

Caitlin stopped cleaning the Lemon's counter long enough to ask, "What's the matter?"

"Looks like I never finished the first chapter."

Nikki snorted.

"Yikes," Sydni said. "I thought you at least finished that."

"Um, _yeah_ , I thought I did, too!" He slapped his palm against his forehead. "Ugh, I might as well just start from scratch."

"What's the first chapter supposed to be about, anyways?"

"It's supposed to be about making the first move."

"So, there's nothing else ahead of it?"

"Nope," he replied, popping the _p_.

"Hmm…" Sydni stared into the distance as she thought about it. "Maybe there should be some kind of preface. It feels weird to just dive into how to start flirting with somebody."

Caitlin pondered her suggestion. "Ooh, maybe we should talk about the different kinds of relationships you can have with people first! That way, the person reading can get familiar with what they want!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Jonesy's lips. He no longer felt defeated. "I like the way you two think. That can be the intro, _then_ we can tackle the stuff about making a move, then being in the 'talking' phase with somebody, and then making it official."

"Did you actually just come up with an outline for your book?" Nikki asked, seeing that when he initially came up with this idea, it was all over the place and lacking focus (not unlike him).

"I think I just did."

"Huh," she said as she looked at him, "I'm kind of impressed."

"Thanks, Nikki," he said before giving her a kiss on the cheek, glad that she was finally (halfway) supportive of his dating guide.

"It's the least I could say." She rose from her seat. "I should probably head to work, so I'll see you guys later."

"Later, babe," he said.

"I should probably head to work, too," Wyatt said. "Good luck with the dating-guide thing."

"Thanks, Wyatt. You're a pal."

With them gone for work, Jen already at work, and Jude hanging at the skate park today, Caitlin closed the Lemon for a while to sit and brainstorm with Sydni and Jonesy.

He cracked his knuckles before placing his fingers on his keyboard. "So, where do we start with the relationship stuff?"

"For starters, we should define the different types," Caitlin said. She flipped through one of her many magazines for inspiration. "Ooh, let's start with _situationships_."

"What the hell is a situationship?" he asked, glancing at her and Sydni.

Sydni shrugged, looking just as perplexed as him.

Caitlin offered, "Situationships are when you're not quite official with somebody, but you're still hooking up enough on a regular basis to basically be an item."

He raised a brow.

"Remember when you and Nikki first got together? That was a situationship. You guys weren't really referring to each other as being girlfriend and boyfriend, but you were _obviously_ flirting and going on dates and hooking up."

He knit his brow. "Wait, really?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"Wow, I never thought of it like that. I didn't even know there was a label for it."

Twirling a lock of her curly blonde hair, she said, "Totally. There's a term for everything these days. I could tell you what _ghosting_ is if you want me to."

"Isn't that when you fake your own death to avoid breaking up?"

"...No."

"Oh. Well, since you're obviously the expert here, give me other types of relationships and I'll make a list of them. Then we can go ask people's thoughts or whatever."

"Well, there's open relationships, long-distance relationships, flings, friends with benefits, and—oh, I'm missing the most obvious one—friends-to-lovers."

Sydni felt a pang in her chest. In the process of distracting herself from Alejandro, she didn't expect to think about the kind of relationship she used to have with Jake. She struck up a friendship with him back in the ninth grade, wherein they sat next to each other in English class. She remembered finding him cute—with his light-brown skin and golden undertones and goofy smile and coily, dark-brown hair—but kept their interactions cordial. Somewhere between them having class together and him joining her small circle of friends, they unearthed a connection. One she deeply valued and one he apparently considered to be disposable.

On the other hand, Jonesy smiled as he thought of Nikki. For him, going from being friends to something more made him feel warm inside. He'd been flirting with Nikki since eighth grade, but not in a way that hinted he desired a relationship with her. He would hit on her in the same way he'd make a pass at his other female friends. Long before becoming stepsiblings, he would joke around with Jen in the same way. (He even flirted with Caitlin when he first met her.) It was in his nature to be a wannabe Casanova. But, upon seeing Nikki at their first homecoming and realizing how much she'd grown since kindergarten, that's when he pictured her differently. That's when he knew he wanted her in a more-than-friendly way.

In response to Caitlin, he said, "Shit, looks like I'm the expert on that."

Caitlin giggled.

To stop thinking about the guy who broke her heart and the guy she didn't want to string along, Sydni suggested, "Maybe we should go talk to Nikki about the friends-to-lovers stuff and get her input for that part of the preface."

"Already on it." Jonesy took it upon himself to text his girlfriend and let her know that they were headed to the Khaki Barn.

* * *

Nikki folded some bandeau tops and placed them onto a display table before looking up, seeing Caitlin, Sydni, and Jonesy step inside the store.

"So," she began as they approached her, "it looks like you need to consult me for _Dating for Dummies_."

"Yep, we do," Jonesy said. "I was wondering if you had anything to say about going from being friends to more than friends."

She smiled while folding one last top. "That depends: Is this actually for your book or is it for your ego?"

"Little bit of both." He chuckled.

"Well, if you must know, it was scary for me to take that risk of being more than friends with you. I didn't want to ruin what we had, especially because it didn't work out the first time around. But now that I took that risk with you, I think it was worth it. I think us getting into a relationship even made our friendship better. You're a pain in my ass, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So I was worth the risk, huh?"

"Of course you were," she replied. "So, how do _you_ feel about being more than friends?"

He shrugged. "I always thought the risk was worth taking. It was either 'stay in the friendzone forever with this amazing, sarcastic-ass chick' or 'try to get with her and see what happens.' That last option worked out well for me, by the way."

Nikki felt heat rise in her cheeks.

"Besides, it's dope dating my best friend. We already know everything about each other, so it's not like I was taking _that_ big of a risk."

She gave him a sheepish grin. "Yeah, that's true."

To an _extent_ , it was the truth. He knew everything about her—except the revelations from last week. He was still ignorant to the fact that she discovered her bisexuality after a kiss with Tristan. She thought it would be easy to tell him, but every time she wanted to be honest with him about it, she shied away. Maybe it was irrational for her to think such a thing, but she didn't want him to start seeing her differently. She didn't want him to doubt her commitment to him.

Nevertheless, his words touched her. She went along with what he said, making him believe that, for now, he knew all he could know about her.

She stood on her tippy toes to reward him with a brief kiss.

After they parted, Jonesy said, "Well, looks like I got what I wanted for that part of my book. Did you write all that down, Sydni?"

"Yeah, I got it. By the way, I'm basically ghostwriting this."

He raised an eyebrow.

"You said it's _your_ book, but I'm the one ghostwriting it."

"Okay, so it's my book with you."

Caitlin cleared her throat, reminding him of her presence.

"Fine, it's _everybody's_ book… Let's just roll," he said on his way out with Sydni and Caitlin. "Later, babe."

"See ya," Nikki said, flashing him a smile as he left. Her lips melted into a frown when he was gone.

She really needed to get her shit together.

* * *

Not too long after that, Nikki met Jen at El Sporto's for lunch. At least once per week, they attempted to hang out together away from the gang, with today being one of those days. She planned on bringing her situation up to Jen, because if there was anybody who would tell her exactly how to get her shit together, it was _Jen_. She lived for telling other people what to do with their lives. (If she wasn't planning on studying marketing in college, then she would _certainly_ become a life coach.)

"…I feel like I've been talking _way_ too much. What's been going on with you?" Jen asked innocently before eating some nachos.

Nikki shrugged. "Oh, nothing much—I'm just bisexual."

She nearly choked. "Wait, _what_?!"

Nikki averted her eyes.

"Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yes." She still refused to look Jen in the eyes. "It doesn't make you feel any different about me though, right?"

"Of course not, Nikki. Don't be ridiculous. You're still my best friend, no matter who you're into. I'm just surprised; I never would've guessed you're into girls."

Now that Jen reassured her, Nikki met her eyes. She quirked her pierced eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, I just never saw that coming." Jen pondered her best friend's interactions with other girls. As long as she had known her, Nikki was frank about the girls she disliked and open about the ones she did. Jen knew Nikki loved _her_ , but their connection was a sisterly love that began as early as they could color outside the lines. Nikki detested working with the Clones, dubbing them "Stepford sisters who shared one tiny brain." However, when the Khaki Barn needed extra employees for spring sales, she _did_ love working with Jean; she even neglected Jonesy to spend time with— "Wait a second, you were _so_ crushing on Jean!"

Her cheeks flushed. "Perhaps."

"I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner." Now that her step-brother had crossed her mind, Jen wondered where he fit into this scenario. "So, how did Jonesy react to you telling him?"

"You know, that's a good question…"

"Nikki, you didn't tell him?!"

"Not yet."

"Nikki, you _seriously_ need to tell him!"

"What do you think I'm telling _you_ for? I need your advice before I say anything to him."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed ahead of telling Jen the whole story—how, after bumping into each other at the skating rink, Tristan and Nikki spent a lot of time together (something which Jen found similar to the Jean situation). She'd also been neglecting Jonesy at the time—another facet of the Jean situation. Then Nikki mentioned how Tristan kissed her.

"Whoa." _That_ was unlike how things went down with Jean.

"Yeah. So that's how I figured out I was bi."

"But you still wanna be with Jonesy, right?"

"Of course I do," Nikki insisted. "I love that idiot. I'm just kind of nervous to tell him. I wanted to tell him the other day, but I chickened out. And speaking of not talking to people, I haven't talked to Tristan since we kissed." She grimaced. "I've just been overthinking this shit, Jen. I don't want her to think I hate her behind what happened, and I don't want Jonesy to feel slighted that I discovered this about myself while I'm dating _him_."

"Well, if you still want to be friends with Tristan, you've got to clear the air and talk to her. Tell her that she helped you figure out you like guys _and_ girls, but you just want to be friends with her. And you've _got_ to be honest with Jonesy. I'm sure that he won't overreact or look at you any differently. You're just as into him as he's into you; just reassure him about that and he should be fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Positive."

Nikki's lips curled into a tiny yet appreciative grin. "Thanks."

Jen sent her a reassuring look. "Anytime, Nikki."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: To Make a Move

Sydni sat at the gang's food court table with Caitlin and Jonesy, still in the process of writing the preface to what now became _their_ book.

She typed on Jonesy's laptop, taking note of the ideas he and Caitlin exchanged. They'd already conversed about situationships, dating a friend, being friends with benefits, having an open relationship, and maintaining a long-distance relationship. Now, it was onto having a _fling_.

She already knew both Caitlin and Jonesy had their fair share of those, but both of them were into different kinds of flings. Caitlin romanticized short-term love affairs, wherein a guy would spoil her with gifts, kisses, and fun dates. She adored the romance and thrill of being with a guy who wasn't going to be in her future, who was only going to be her "right now." The superficial, surface attraction was fun for her.

Jonesy, on the other hand, indulged in the carnal side of having a fling. Getting to second base with girls at parties and getting head from hockey-team groupies were only some of the perks of a fling for him.

"I see what you're saying," Caitlin said to Jonesy after he explained himself, "but I just love letting a boy sweep me off my feet. I just feel like a fling helps me ease my mind no matter what's going on."

"You've got that right. Whenever shit isn't going right or you just wanna have fun, hooking up with someone is the move."

 _That_ was the commonality between their dramatically different ideas of a fling: they were meant for destressing, not for adding _more_ stress on one's life.

Sydni pondered her predicament. She'd been scared to pursue something with Alejandro out of fear that it was too soon to move onto somebody else while getting over a heartbreak. Her mind had pressed fast-forward, thinking of being involved with him in terms of an actual committed relationship rather than something simpler: a _fling_. She didn't want anything serious, not after what she'd been through. But, if she kept thinking about him, maybe she just wanted _something_.

Her best friends have all had flings before, especially Michaela. (Technically, she _only_ had flings; no guy could coax her into commitment.)

Flings weren't supposed to be complicated or riddled with inevitable heartbreak. A summer love affair was whatever two people were willing to make it.

"Maybe I want that—a summer fling… with Alejandro," she confessed to the two of them. Saying it out loud made her feel more assured.

Caitlin squealed for joy. " _Ohmygosh_ , I'm so glad you still wanna be with him!"

"Attagirl," Jonesy said. "Gotta ride somebody new until you forget who did you dirty."

" _Jonesy_ ," she chastised.

"What? Just being honest, princess."

Sydni gaped at him. His words were vulgar yet reminiscent of something Michaela would actually say to her. If she knew of this handsome guy—Sydni made a mental note to fill her and Danielle in on the details—then she would tell Sydni to pursue him without hesitation.

Even when Alejandro wasn't in the picture and she still lived in Baltimore and Jake had just shattered her heart, Michaela told her something similar.

"You're gonna find someone who's gonna treat you right, Bambi. Or maybe they'll find you. Maybe you'll find each other or whatever—shit, I don't know. But what I _do_ know is that if you find someone who gives you a good feeling in your gut and your _chocha_ , go after them. You deserve to forget and feel good, sis."

Minus the talk about using her "chocha" to guide her, that sounded reasonable enough: _forgetting and feeling good_.

"He's right," Sydni admitted. Before Jonesy could appear too smug, she clarified, "Not about riding somebody into oblivion, but about the concept of another person making the one who broke your heart into an afterthought."

"Wow, that's way more poetic than how I interpreted it," Caitlin said.

He stroked the very sparse hairs around his chin. "Hmm, maybe I really _am_ a dating guru."

Ignoring him, Caitlin told Sydni, "I'm so glad you feel inspired to put yourself out there again! This is gonna be _so_ great! We _have_ to fix you two up ASAP."

Caitlin's enthusiasm, while infectious, also frightened her. Sydni stumbled over her words. "Actually, I really need some time to think over my approach. Plus, _I_ don't want to be the one to initiate things with _him_. I— I'd rather him see me and make a move."

Jonesy cleared his throat, drawing their attention towards him. "This feels like the perfect time to start the chapter on making the first move, don't ya think?"

Sydni sent him a tiny smile. "Maybe."

Caitlin clapped her hands together, ready to dive in to the next part of the guide. "Ooh, I can do the girls' perspective on making a move and you can do the guys' perspective. That way, we can both help Sydni with some pointers!"

"Sweet," he said.

And so, for a couple hours, Sydni listened to them as they shared advice on how to approach Alejandro.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nikki decided to take Jen's advice.

She stood outside Once Upon a Time, taking a deep breath while staring into the store. She saw Tristan at the register, helping a customer purchase their books. She decided to make her move as the customer exited the store.

Tristan's eyes lit up with recognition before dimming as Nikki approached the register.

She could sense disappointment in Tristan's demeanor; Nikki appeared remorseful. "Hey, Tristan."

Tristan avoided looking at her. "Nikki… I wasn't sure I'd ever hear from you again."

She sighed. "You're pissed at me, aren't you?"

"I'm not pissed, just… hurt. You hadn't texted me or called me or stopped by in a week, so I assumed that our friendship just went to shit."

"I'm sorry for leaving you in the dark like that. I was confused and trying make up for lost time with my boyfriend and realized I sent you mixed signals when we started hanging out." In hindsight, Nikki found that she gave Tristan the go-ahead to kiss her. The way Nikki laughed a little too hard at her jokes and hung out with her constantly and told her that she really liked her must have given Tristan the courage to kiss her. "I should've talked to you about it sooner."

"Maybe it's my fault for interpreting your actions as being flirtatious."

"It's not your fault, Tristan. But I didn't come to argue about who was in the wrong. I came to tell you that I still want to be friends with you."

"Really? I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me after the kiss."

She shook her head. "I still do. Besides, you kissing me helped me figure out that I'm actually bisexual—that I've _always_ been bisexual. I just needed something to help me realize it."

Tristan's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, wow."

"Yeah. So I was hoping we could put this behind us and still be friends… But only if you want to."

Tristan looked down, considering it. Her lips upturned when she met Nikki's eyes. "I'd love to still be your friend, Nik."

"Great."

"Just don't go ghost on me again. That shit _really_ got me in my feelings."

Nikki chuckled. "It won't happen again, Tris."

* * *

An hour later, Nikki sent Jonesy a text asking him to meet her by the fountain.

Since closing time was in an hour, the area was tranquil. No kids running around. No busy shoppers scurrying past each other. No angry patrols from Ron the Rent-a-Cop. Just a place where the two of them could talk with minimal distractions.

She placed her phone face-down beside her on the bench. Instead of thinking the absolute worst, she allowed the fountain's running water to soothe her. Given how well her effort to reconcile with Tristan went, she hoped coming out to Jonesy would be as effortless.

Like Jen had said, he wouldn't look at her any differently. He wouldn't treat her any differently. He wouldn't feel for her any differently. (At least, that's what the miniscule portion of her brain that _wasn't_ cynical believed.)

"Busy thinking 'bout me?" a voice called out to her.

She looked up to see her tall, smug-ass boyfriend standing in front of her. "I was, actually."

After she moved her phone aside, he took a seat beside her. "How's your day been?"

"A little better now that you're here."

" _That's_ what I like to hear." He kissed her cheek. "So, you wanted to talk about something?"

"Yeah." She let out an uneasy laugh, feeling herself tense up. "You know I care about you a lot, right?"

"I do." He quirked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Nikki?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just… need to be honest with you about something."

"What is it?"

She gulped. Now or never. "Tristan kissed me a week ago."

"Wait, _what_?"

"The last time we'd hung out, she misread some of the signals I was sending her and so she kissed me."

"Oh… wow," he said, processing this new information. "Did… Did you like it?"

She sighed. "That's why I wanted to tell you about it."

His jaw dropped. "Whoa, so you _did_ like it?!"

"I did—but I _swear_ I'm not into Tristan. We're just friends. I was just so confused after it happened, but it helped me realize that, you know… I'm bisexual."

"So you're into dudes and chicks now?"

She nodded. "And maybe that's why I gravitated towards Jean and Tristan. I just didn't know it at the time." Before he could say anything else, she said, "I really want to be with you, but I just wanted to come clean about my sexuality."

A half-hearted laugh escaped his lips. "Hey, at least if another chick takes you from me, I won't be _completely_ blindsided."

She heard an undercurrent of sadness in his tone. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Nikki—when you met Jean you forgot about me, and when you met Tristan you forgot about me. What if another girl you like comes into your life and you actually wanna be with her? Third time's the charm, isn't it?" He found it ironic that he went from feeling like a love expert to someone who couldn't even hold onto his girlfriend. It wounded his ego.

This was as hard as she anticipated it to be before talking to Jen. Then again, Jen said it would be okay, but she never said it would be _easy_.

Her palm rested against his thigh in an effort to reassure him. "I'm not going to leave you for another girl, Jonesy."

He crossed his arms. "How do you know that?"

"Because no matter who walks into my life, _you're_ the one who's always there for me at the end of the day. Look, I know I fucked up when I got caught up with Tristan and Jean and left you in the dark, but you waited for me instead of walking away from me. And that says a _lot_ about you." Though she didn't stray from him often, he had a way of reeling her back in. He had a way of reminding her about their bond. "It… makes me appreciate what I have with you. It makes me not want to take you for granted. And it makes me feel like shit when I hurt you, because it's apparent how much you care about me and I care about you just as much and—"

He silenced her with a kiss, cupping her face with his palms. His lips were slow and gentle against hers. His lips were forgiving.

When they parted, he offered her a soft smile. "You were rambling, babe. You _never_ ramble."

"I know." Her expression mirrored his. "I needed you to know how much I only want you."

"I appreciate that, and I want you just as much. You're my girl, Nik."

Her cheeks flushed with color. "So we're okay now?"

"Yep." Accepting both her apology and her sexuality, he teased, "I guess I shouldn't give a damn who you like as long as you love _me_."

She laughed. "Guess that's the big takeaway, huh?"

"My baby just can't get enough of the Jonesmeister," he gloated, flashing her a smug smile. "She always comes running back."

She gave him a look of annoyance. "Alright, Jonesy, knock it off."

"Fine."

* * *

Sydni rested her back against her headboard. Her laptop sat in her lap, warm against her bare legs. She scrolled through her social media while she awaited a video call from her best friends. Though she'd been texting them and snapchatting them and DMing them since she moved to Toronto, she and her friends from home hadn't found the chance to sit down and chat like old times. She wanted to tell them about her new friends, about her new job, about her blog, about Alejandro.

Unlike her friends, both old and new, Sydni didn't have many experiences with boys. She'd only talked to one boy prior to Jake, going on a couple dates with him that didn't amount to anything. On the other hand, her first real relationship was with Jake, and—judging by her ongoing inner monologue—it was evident that they had fallen apart.

She was out of practice when it came to dating, so Jonesy and Caitlin's guidance was more than necessary.

Right in the middle of her musings about her dating inexperience, a notification filled the top-right corner of her laptop.

 _Incoming video call from Danielle Cooper._

Butterflies fluttered around her stomach when she answered the call. Texts and Instagram selfies paled in comparison to interacting with her best friend on a video call. (Of course, seeing her in real life eclipsed all three of those things.)

A storm of black curls filled the screen.

"Dani," Sydni said with a giggle, "your hair's all up in the camera."

After angling the camera towards her face, she said, "Shit, my bad. My phone fell over. Anyways, _hey_ , sis!"

"Hey, Dani! I'm _so_ glad to see you." She had no idea how much that statement rung true. Danielle's unruly-yet-perfect black curls and light skin with a hint of brown reminded her of home. "I have so much to tell you and Mickey when she shows up."

"And I wanna hear every detail. You better not leave anything out… Wait, where the hell _is_ Mickey? Weren't we all supposed to be on the call at the same time?"

"I have no clue where she is, to be honest. I'm sure she'll be—"

 _Incoming video call from Michaela Rodriguez_.

"There she is," Sydni said. Choosing to merge the video calls, Michaela's face filled the other half of Sydni's screen.

Before she could say anything, Michaela shouted, " _Bitch, I ain't seen you in forever!"_

"That's funny," Danielle interjected with sarcasm in her tone. "I'm pretty sure we hung out yesterday."

"Not you, bitch! I'm talking about Sydni! It's like these hoes in Toronto have been holding her hostage or something."

Sydni laughed. Michaela was as profane as ever—something Sydni totally missed. She also missed seeing her pastel-pink ponytail shake with her head movements. She missed her mischievous brown eyes and her equally mischievous smile. "No one's holding me hostage. I've just been busy trying to come into my own, I guess."

"Yeah," Danielle said, "I see you've been writing again."

Sydni smiled. Danielle had always been reading her work, even when they were in elementary school and Sydni thought her lame short stories were the _shit_. "Yeah. I think I'm writing just for the sake of it right now, though. Between my album reviews and posts about my day, I think my blog is kind of a hot mess."

(Maybe adding Jonesy and Caitlin's dating guide would do her blog some justice after all.)

"It's not a hot mess, Syd," she said, her hazel eyes shining bright (even through laggy video quality). "You said it yourself: you're just trying write for the hell of it. Keep doing it and you'll find your flow. Shit, if you and Mickey didn't let me do all those photoshoots with you in middle school, my photography skills would still be trash."

"And if I didn't practice my moves everyday, I wouldn't be good at dancing," Michaela added. "But, let's be real, as long as Beyoncé's alive, I'll never be _that_ good at it."

"That's true—not about the Beyoncé thing. I meant the point about practicing," Sydni said. That's the thing she loved the most about her best friends: whenever she cast doubt upon herself, they were quick to build her back up. They encouraged her to grow with them. They reminded her that she was great even when she felt ridiculous for her efforts.

"I'm glad you're back on your writing shit, Bambi. It really seems like you're doing better," Michaela said.

"Yeah, you seem like you're in a better place right now," Danielle added.

Compared to how Sydni was months ago—sullen, reclusive, quiet—they were right. She had more progress to make when it came to her self-esteem, but she was moving forward. In a few months, she'd gotten better. Not where she needed to be, but slowly approaching it.

Sydni toyed with a lock of her hair. "It means a lot to hear you two say that."

Before Sydni could say anything else, Dani squinted, recognizing something on her wrist. "Syd… is that the bracelet Jake gave you?" she asked, knowing damn well it was. She knew that dainty silver chain when she saw it.

Sydni felt disappointed in herself for allowing something as small as a bracelet to hinder her progress. But it was a birthday gift from him—the gift that turned their friendship into a relationship. "It's the one thing I couldn't get rid of, okay? It still means too much to me."

Michaela crossed her arms. "I'd prefer if you didn't wear anything from a cheating _hijo de puta_ like him, but I know how much he meant to you, so it's whatever."

" _Please_ tell me you'll stop wearing that one day," Dani urged.

"I will," Sydni said, hoping they would believe her. One day she would. One day she wouldn't need a reminder of their relationship on her wrist. "I'll get rid of it before the end of summer, okay?"

Dani nodded. "I'll accept that."

"So," Michaela said, "are there any hotties in Toronto? You find your Drake yet, or nah?"

"She doesn't need a Drake. A sensitive light-skin who's gonna shame her for having fun with her girls in the club? No thank you," Danielle said, suddenly reminding Sydni of the lyrics to "Hotline Bling."

Michaela side-eyed her. "You're really saying this like you're not his complexion your damn self."

"Hey, I may be his complexion, but I'm not nearly as in my feelings as he is. _And_ I'm the one light-skin that texts back. Anyways, Syd, get you one of those dudes that looks like Bryson Tiller but acts like Daniel Caesar. _That's_ somebody worth keeping."

"Well, actually…" Sydni trailed off, wanting to interject about the guy who wouldn't leave her head.

Her friends leaned in, eager to hear more.

"This guy I'm into isn't like any of those other guys, but he's crazy handsome."

"Oooh!" Mickey shouted. "You gotta tell me his name!"

Her lips curled at the very thought of him (and at the very thought of Michaela's reaction). "His name is Alejandro."

Michaela's brown eyes widened. "Alejandro, huh? You know if he's _boricua_?"

"I'm not really sure, to be honest. I just know he's tall, tan, charming and won't leave my mind."

"You know if he's into you?" Danielle asked.

Though Sydni's brown skin never revealed whether she was blushing or not, she could feel heat pooling in her cheeks. "I think so. He's flirted with me a few times and we even danced together."

"What are you waiting for, Bambi?! Get those digits, girl!"

"I am," Sydni said, finally filled with hope about the situation. "I am."

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _: Okay, so Sydni and her best friends from Baltimore are so much freaking fun to write. Like, I'm always in my element when it comes to writing the 6teen characters, but all my OCs that are a part of Sydni's life are so much fun because—f you can't tell—I'm writing from experience here. I'm drawing inspiration from the way me and my homegirls cut up when we hang out, lmfao. Anyways, the black (and brown) girl magic is_ _real_ _in the last scene of this story._

 _If you need any reference as to how to picture Michaela, just google pictures of Kali Uchis and Cardi B, tbh. In regards to Danielle, just picture the singer Tinashe, but with curly hair._

 _I'm going to edit/revise this story more eventually, but i just wanted this to be finally published. It feels like a weight off my shoulders to be continuing this series._


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